This invention relates to electrical connectors. More particularly, it relates to modular FCC-type electrical plugs primarily used in the communications industry. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued regulations standardizing the outer dimensions of so-called modular plugs which are primarily used to terminate small multi-conductor cables for making various electrical connections.
Examples of plugs having these FCC regulated outer dimensions are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,246, issued to Vaden, assigned to the Brand-Rex Company, assignee of this application, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,539, issued to Hardesty, assigned to Western Electric Company, Incorporated. The disclosures set forth in the above two patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
While the outer dimensions of the plug have been standardized, the FCC has permitted substantial leeway in the design and improvement in the inside portions of modular plugs. An example of a prior art plug is shown in cross-section in FIG. 1 of this application. Plug 10 is made of a dielectric plastic material and includes a first opening 12 for receiving a multi-conductor cable and a second opening 14 for receiving a plurality of contacts to terminate the conductors in the cable. The plug 10 also includes an opening 13 designed to prevent a bubble which sometimes forms when the plastic is molded. A typical general arrangement of such a second opening used in the termination of contacts to conductors is better seen in reference to FIG. 6. Referring again to FIG. 1, the floor 16 is smooth along the wire entry portion of its length. This has led to problems in aligning the conductors to be terminated to its proper contact, in that the conductors are somewhat free to move about. This problem is compounded in that the prior art plug does not provide a mechanism for guiding the individual conductors into their proper positions during the early stage of the insertion of the cable into the connector. This has, in the past, resulted in frequent rejection of the plugs during the inspection in the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, the prior art plug includes conductor strain relief mechanism 18, which weakens the overall structure of the plug, and is believed to be somewhat superfluous in view of the cable strain relief mechanism 20 and the increased retention provided by the three-tine contactor disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,246.